Interviewing at Microsoft

re: Interviewing at Microsoft

Brant Gurganus — Sun, 22 Aug 2004 05:31:00 GMT

How much did creating a foam cutout of yourself cost?

re: Interviewing at Microsoft

Michael Swanson — Sun, 22 Aug 2004 07:19:00 GMT

Brant:

Frankly, I don't remember the individual costs, but overall, including shipping, the whole thing cost me somewhere around $600. Yes, that's a lot of money for a job application, but I had so much fun doing it, the money didn't matter.

re: Interviewing at Microsoft

Mark Pitman — Sun, 22 Aug 2004 09:08:00 GMT

So, where's the cutout now? If it's still around you should send it around to different places on the MS campus like "Flat Stanley" (http://flatstanley.enoreo.on.ca/).

re: Interviewing at Microsoft

Michael Swanson — Sun, 22 Aug 2004 20:46:00 GMT

That's a great question, Mark...I don't know. I'd guess that someone eventually threw it out, but frankly, I have no idea. Does anyone in our HR department remember seeing this?

re: Interviewing at Microsoft

Salman — Sun, 22 Aug 2004 22:31:00 GMT

Can you imagine what type of mail microsoft must be getting (or will get) now thanks to your blog post?

Want your Resume to get Noticed?

Geek News Central — Mon, 23 Aug 2004 12:49:00 GMT

Great link from Scoble to a story about a gentleman trying to get a interview with Microsoft. Very cool read....

re: Interviewing at Microsoft

Heather — Mon, 23 Aug 2004 20:58:00 GMT

Michael-the VP of HR sits in a different building than staffing so it could be over there...hpw long ago was this? I'd be happy to research the whereabout of it.

I've never heard the story, though so glad you are sharing it! I recruit for marketing in case anyone wants to send their life-size cutout or marketing action figure to me ; )

Unfortunately, I haven't received anything odder than a fruit basket (the guy did get hired but not because of the fruit)

Heather Hamilton | Senior Marketing Recruiter

Microsoft Corporation | 425.706.2312

heathham@microsoft.com | http://weblogs.asp.net/heatherleigh

re: Interviewing at Microsoft

Michael Swanson — Mon, 23 Aug 2004 21:05:00 GMT

Heather:

The letter is from Mike Murray, dated July 28, 1998. I don't know if Mike is still around...I couldn't seem to find him in the address book.

re: Interviewing at Microsoft

Ramesh — Mon, 23 Aug 2004 21:31:00 GMT

Hi Micheal,

Similar to your story, I am one of the aspirant IT professional willing to work for Microsoft and since from years finding the better ways to work for Microsoft.

Your story temps me to do some thing new to take up your approach for getting into MS :) Just kidding !!!

I hope you now working for Microsoft !!!

By the way, can I see your resume or the way it was presented? If you dont mind you can send it to my ID....

k_hsemar@hotmail.com or k_hsemar@yahoo.com.

All the best for your futur endeavors... Hope i will meet you @ MS when I get a chance to work.

Thanks,
Ramesh

How to get an interview

TomorrowYesterday - A Dennis T Cheung Blog — Tue, 24 Aug 2004 08:26:00 GMT

Interviewing at Microsoft You know those life sized celebrity cardboard cutouts that adorn the occasional geek office? I decided to build a cardboard cutout of me and send it along with my resume as the “model Microsoft employee.” To figure out how large it could be, I visited the FedEx office and asked for the maximum dimensions for something shipped next-day air. Although I don’t recall the exact numbers, it was something like 170 inches for combined length and girth. Not only did I want it to be as close to actual size as possible, but I wanted it to make a splash when it was delivered to the HR department in Redmond. After all, how many next-day air packages have you received that were much bigger than a standard letter? Now that's a story. Click the link to see a picture of it....

re: Interviewing at Microsoft

Allan — Tue, 24 Aug 2004 21:58:00 GMT

I suspect that you may have shown too much initiative. While good companies value the exceptional and innovative employee, the need is freater for workers who simply do as they are told.

re: Interviewing at Microsoft

gretchen — Wed, 25 Aug 2004 01:39:00 GMT

Hi Michael - this is such a great story. I, too, have never heard about this, but i'm also on a mission to see if your likeness still exists. I'll let you know if I uncover anything!!

re: Interviewing at Microsoft

Michael Swanson — Wed, 25 Aug 2004 04:44:00 GMT

Gretchen:

When approached, use terminology from .NET, C#, or Doom 3 to lure it near. Beware, however, of its extremely flat personality. :-)

re: Interviewing at Microsoft

Eric Maino — Wed, 25 Aug 2004 08:38:00 GMT

Mike... I had heard this story many a time, but never realized that it was you.

re: Interviewing at Microsoft

Amanar — Wed, 25 Aug 2004 15:12:00 GMT

Great story.

I had read a PASCAL program which reverses the contents in a file, whose line was like this:

if Not EndofFile then flipit()

Want your Resume to get Noticed?

Hiddenpcmaster's Headquarters — Sat, 28 Aug 2004 15:56:00 GMT

Great link from Scoble to a story about a gentleman trying to get a interview with Microsoft. Very cool read....

re: Interviewing at Microsoft

Sandeep Bihani — Sun, 29 Aug 2004 18:08:00 GMT

Gee... that was one of the best ideas I have ever heard.... and a very gutsy one at that. It requires balls of steel to do a thing like that. But then that is what I like about America.... every thing, which is unique is taken in positive light.

That is what is called Height of applying :) Even I hope to work in Microsoft. lets see what I will do to get them to call me for the interview ;)

Can you mail me a copy of the mail from Microsoft, which you got at sandeepbihani@gmail.com

Cheers,

Sandeep Bihani

Outcome of Interview

Sriharsha — Thu, 16 Sep 2004 11:40:00 GMT

Hi Michael,

Found it a little bit strange that you were not even absorbed into their Ads division... :-)

Anyway that prompts me to post my earlier experience. I was browsing a prospective employers website days before my interview was scheduled and found that there were some minor typo errors in the phone numbers (at the end), so I wrote a 50-line letter explaining all the addresses that those numbers were referring to and scolding the admin for not maintaining it properly and Faxed it to them with Big n Bold lettering using an amature Fax Program......

And my first question at the interview was....
"Are you the one who sent that fax......!???" :-)

(I was finally employed there.....;) )

Cheers,
Harsha.

A cutout of yourself alongwith resume..!!

Devankur Thakur — Fri, 15 Oct 2004 15:26:00 GMT

Another MVP Joins Microsoft

tfosorciM.org — Thu, 10 Mar 2005 13:36:00 GMT

One of the issues that keeps popping into my mind in recent days is the ongoing flow of MVPs who become Microsoft employees. Another MVP, Eric Maino, has just agreed to join Microsoft, It was a tough decision... . Usually,...

re: Why Can't You Pay Attention Anymore?

Michael Swanson's Blog — Wed, 30 Mar 2005 09:05:00 GMT

re: Interviewing at Microsoft

sandeep — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 08:36:17 GMT

Hi Micheal,

Similar to your story, I am one of the aspirant IT professional willing to work for Microsoft and since from years finding the better ways to work for Microsoft.

Your story temps me to do some thing new to take up your approach for getting into MS :) Just kidding !!!

I hope you now working for Microsoft !!!

By the way, can I see your resume or the way it was presented? If you dont mind you can send it to my ID....

sandeep.raj.reddy@gmail.com.

All the best for your futur endeavors... Hope i will meet you @ MS when I get a chance to work.

Thanks,
Sandeep

Interviewing at Microsoft

Maiwand — Sun, 05 Mar 2006 22:04:35 GMT

Excellent idea!

But why does everyone seem like they would sell their sister for a job a Microsoft?

NetManiac » Blog Archive » To be hired by MS, you have to stand out

NetManiac » Blog Archive » To be hired by MS, you have to stand out — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 02:21:18 GMT

PingBack from http://nhw.pl/wp/2006/04/21/to-be-hired-by-ms-you-have-to-stand-out/

» Who’s Microsoft’s “Great Actor”? InsideMicrosoft - part of the Blog News Channel

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 20:02:16 GMT

PingBack from http://microsoft.blognewschannel.com/index.php/archives/2006/04/26/whos-microsofts-great-actor/

re: Interviewing at Microsoft

Mina — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 22:54:14 GMT

I find the Microsoft interviewing process so proscribed, narrow, rigid, and authoritarian that I can't imagine why it's a search for people who think "outside the box". The whole process is as "inside the box" as it can be.

re: Interviewing at Microsoft

A Stewart — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 08:29:03 GMT

For those of us who can't afford $600 for a life size cutout, there is a cheap do-it-yourself alternative at www.mylifesize.com.

Not as cool as a life size professional photo, but pretty cool.

re: Interviewing at Microsoft

Cheri — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 08:13:09 GMT

I've heard of someone placing their folded up (really small) resume in a nut shell and presenting it as "this is my resume in a nut shell." They ended up getting the job, as well.

Three cheers for you, Mike, and all of those other very creative people out there!

Hi. I'm here. Hire me.

Gretchen's Work Life — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 23:02:34 GMT

You may have read about the guy who flew to California (with no appointment) to pitch a business idea

re: Interviewing at Microsoft

Subby — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 00:36:27 GMT

Great idea, BTW did u patent it yet :)?

re: Interviewing at Microsoft

kanika — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:32:18 GMT

nice Idea Mike !

Even i like to do such things..ur post tempts me to make a life size painting of my own today!

re: Interviewing at Microsoft

Jyoti — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:51:36 GMT

Never heard anything like this before. But yeah.. Impressive!

This is what I call extraordinary - doing usual things in different ways :)